Car-coupling



(No Model.)

P. W. BRADBURN.

Car Coupling. I

Patnted Nov. 23,1880.

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NJEERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHIE?, WASHINGTON D C 4UNTTTD STATns PATENT @TareaPETER W. BRADBURN, OF GUTHRIE CENTRE, IOVA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,652, dated November23, 1880,

Application filed June 15, 1880. (No model.)

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER W. BRADBURN, of Guthrie Centre, in the countyof Guthrie and State oi' Iowa, have invented an Improved Gar-Coupling,ci' which thefollowin gis a speciiication.

The object oi' my invention is to avoid the dangers and accidentsincident to coupling railway-cars, and to prevent the maiming andkilling of persons and the damages and losses result-in g from unsafecouplings. It relates to that class ot' couplings in which a link ofcorninon form is detachably connected with a draw head by means of astraight pin.

Heretofore sliding-pin supports and pinlit'ting devices have been usedin combination with a draw-head to automatically couple cars by means ofa link, and to uncouple without going between the cars. A spring hasalso been fixed in a draw-head in such a manner that the coupling-linkcould beindependently adjusted relative to the spring, so as to be heldin position by the spring as required, to enter a correspondingdraw-head.

My improvement contemplates controlling in a draw-head both the link andthe pin by means of one rod or lever, and by one motion thereof, in sucha way that the act of unconpling will adjust the link and alsothe pin asrequired to automatically couple two cars when they come in contact.

It consists in forming, arranging, and combining a draw-head, a pin andpin-support, and a link-balance, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure l of my accompanying drawings is a sectional view, showing myseveral devices combined with each other and with the ends of cars. Fig.2 is a perspective view, showing my invention applied and adjusted on acar as required to control the link and to retain it in proper positionto enter a corresponding draw-head on another car to connect the twocars. J ointly considered, these figures clearly illustrate theconstruction, application, operation, and utility .of my completeinvention.

A represents a section of a car, to which a draw-head, B, is iiXed bymeans of bolts, or in any suitable way. This draw-head has a cavity, c,of common form, adapted to receive a link of common form. It also has avertical pin-hole,1,intersectingthecavityc. Astraight pin, e, is fittedinto the hole d to pass downward through the cavity c to engage the linkf as required to retain the link whenever necessary.

g is a rod iiexibly connected with the top end ofthe pin e.

h is agbracket extending horizontally from the end .ot' the car near itstop. lt has an eye or bearing, i, formed on or attached to its end,through which the rod g is passed and operated.

70 is-a ring or handle formed on or attached to the top end ot' the rod,by means ot' which the combined rod and pin may be operated by a personon top of the car and without going between two cars.

lis a rock-shaft, mounted in suitable bearings, iixed tothe front endot' the car at a point intermediate between the bracket It and thedraw-head. lt has a rigid arm, l', that extends outward and is iiexiblyconnected with the rod g. It has crank-handles l on its ends, that canbe readily reached by a person at the side of the car and raised andlowered to rock the shaft, and thereby operate the rod f/ and theadjustable devices connected therewith.

m is a removable plate on the front and top of the draw-head. lt coversa slide, m', that is iitted 1,0 move in a corresponding groove andbearing, m, formed in the top face ofthe draw-head. This slide andpin-supporting device has a pin-hole corresponding with the pin-hole inthe draw-head, and when properly adjusted in its bearing the pin-holesregister, and the pin e is allowed to pass downward to engage the link.

n is a spring itted to the rear end of the slide m. In its normalcondition the spring presses the slide forward to project beyond thefront end ot' the draw-head and to close the pin-hole in the draw-headin such a manner that the pin e will be held up thereby as required tokeep the cavity c in the drawhead free to admit a coupling-link.

o is a lever pivoted t0 bearin gs formed on or attached to the lowerside ot the draw-head. It is bent upward at its front end to engage thecoupling-link in the cavity c ot' the drawhead.

r is a bent rod thatl extends downward through a perforation in thedraw-head. Its top end and horizontal portion is connected with the rodgin such a manner that it can be elevated by means of the rod g, whichhas a shoulder, g', to engage the eye on the end of the bent rod.

s is a weight attached to the lower end ofthe rod 1'. The rear end ofthe lever o is flexibly connected with the lower end of the rod r, andoperated by means of the rod and weight as required to control thecoupling-link.

In the practical operation of my invention I adjust the coupling-pin d,the pin-support m', and the link-balance o as required, to prepare thedraw-head and complete device for the reception of a coupling-linkcarried by an approaching car, by simply lifting the rod g, by means ofits handle k or the rock-shaft l, and thereby withdrawing the piu d fromthe cavity cof the draw-head, and also from the piu-hole in the slide m.When the slide m is thus disengaged the spring n will move it under thepin, to afford a rest and support for the pin, and to cause it toproject forward from the front face of the draw-head. The same motionofthe rod g will, at the saine time, lift the bent rod 1", and therebythe balance-weights, as required to lower the front end ofthelinlesupport o, and to leave the link-cavity c unobstructed. When mycoupling is thus adjusted on two cars that are to be coupled together, Ipass a link into the cavity c of one ofthe draw-heads, and then press inthe projecting end of the slide and pin-support m to allow the piu todrop through and engage the link. The same motion that frees the pinalso frees the suspcnded rod o' and weight s, and allows the linksupport o to vibrate and its front end to ascend and engage the link andhold it in position as required to direct the link into the matingdraw-head of the car that is to be connected; and when a link is thusplaced and supported in one of the draw-heads it will readily passintolthemating draw-head when their ends come together, and theprojecting pin-support and slide m of the same mating draw-head will bepressed in and adjusted as required to allow the pin to drop andautomatically couple the cars.

To uncouple I simply lift the rod g on one of the cars, and by so doingfree the link and leave all the opera-tive parts properly adjusted to beagain automatically coupled whenever desired.

I claim as my inventionl. The link-support o, the rod r, having aweight, s, and the rod g, having a shoulder, g', arranged and combinedrelative to a drawhead and a couplinglink and pin substantially as shownand described,to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposesspecified.

2. The improved car-coupling, consisting of the following elements, towit: the draw-head b c d, the combined pin and rod e g, the rodbearingdevice h t', the pin-operating device l l', the pin-support m n, thelink-support 0, the bent rod i', and weights, substantially as shown anddescribed, to accomplish the unitary results contemplated and specified.

PETER lV. BRADBURN.

Witnesses:

J. LANDIs, CARSON H. PRroR.

